Chapter 99: Top-Grade Elixir, Battle Power Soars

Back in the stone room, Luo Chen looked at the golden elixir pinched between his thumb and index finger.

A faint but very distinct cloud pattern wrapped around the elixir once.

Regarding elixirs, Luo Chen's initial understanding came from the immortal fate of his predecessor—the legacy of an old cultivator.

That old cultivator who died in the mountain cave, strictly speaking, could not be considered a disciple of a major sect.

He came from the loose cultivators of the Medicine King Domain, and because of his passable alchemy skills, he was barely accepted as an outer sect disciple by the Medicine King Sect.

His situation was actually very similar to that of Fu Xiuxiu.

It was just that he hadn't succeeded in Foundation Establishment and had not obtained the Foundation Establishment chapter of the Medicine King Sect's "Evergreen Scripture," the "Yi Wood Medicine King Scripture."

As he grew older, he was relegated to an outer sect disciple of the Medicine King Sect, handling miscellaneous chores for the sect.

In the end, he died in a large mountain cave in the Yuanzhao Kingdom.

The other party had quite a bit of insight into alchemy, so besides the Qi Refining chapter of the "Evergreen Scripture," he also left behind two elixir formulas for his predecessor: Grain Bigu and Zhongmiao Pill.

As for why a proper outer sect disciple of the Medicine King Sect would have a strange virility-enhancing elixir formula, that was not something Luo Chen could know.

Later, as Luo Chen transmigrated and sold elixirs at the loose cultivator market, occasionally chatting with some loose cultivators, he gradually learned more common knowledge about elixirs.

Well, those people didn't know how to refine elixirs, but they were always picky when buying things.

Through back-and-forth, he could always fish out some information.

And what gave him the greatest harvest was undoubtedly the "Qingyuan Elixir Explanation" book given to him by Mi Shuhua.

That was an alchemy master who was a Foundation Establishment cultivator but had refined third-tier elixirs.

To this day, Luo Chen was still studying the "Qingyuan Elixir Explanation" daily, and the more he read, the fresher it felt.

The several alchemy techniques recorded on it benefited him even more.

The Folding Jade Hand was a technique he had recently learned, which had miraculous effects on processing mineral materials.

But he digressed.

Through this alchemy knowledge, Luo Chen gradually understood the entire alchemy system.

For example, the classification of elixir grades.

The spiritual energy in this world was abundant and resources were rich, so the Great Dao laws were manifested externally. If there were things born in response to the Great Dao, they often had corresponding Dao patterns.

Such as monster bone patterns, inner core patterns, and also ancient tree rings, strange mineral traces, and so on.

What was surprising was that man-made elixirs actually had corresponding Dao patterns as well.

People in the world called them elixir patterns, and because the patterns were as ethereal as clouds, they got the alias "cloud patterns."

The number of cloud patterns determined the grade of an elixir.

If there were no cloud patterns, then that elixir was considered unranked.

Why was Luo Chen's Grain Bigu always said to be unranked?

The reason lay in the fact that after the medicinal power stabilized, there were no cloud patterns on the pill, so even a top-grade Grain Bigu was unranked.

But this time, Luo Chen had brushed the proficiency of Grain Bigu to the Great Perfection level.

The elixir refined actually had a wisp of a cloud pattern.

Although it was only one wisp, it represented that it had entered the ranks.

"Let me try it and see how the medicinal power is."

Luo Chen did not hesitate and swallowed it directly.

He still had confidence in the things he refined himself.

After swallowing it, a sense of fullness slowly generated.

That feeling was just like the lazy feeling after having just finished a meal.

"This medicinal power?"

Luo Chen was a bit hesitant, rubbed his stomach, and then became thoughtful.

"Compared to a low-grade Grain Bigu, the medicinal power contained within it has increased tenfold. Compared to a top-grade one, it is about three times as much."

A low-grade Grain Bigu could guarantee a cultivator would not be hungry for three days.

A top-grade Grain Bigu could support about ten days of normal activity.

Now, this top-grade Grain Bigu could let Luo Chen not feel hungry for a month.

"Previously, I used the Xuanyun Cauldron to refine Grain Bigu; two sets of raw materials should have produced one hundred pills."

"But in the end, I only got about fifty pills of medicinal paste, and this one pill that entered the ranks."

"In other words, it took a whole set of raw materials to get this one top-grade Grain Bigu."

After getting this answer, Luo Chen was somewhat dissatisfied.

Whether it was the profit from external sales or the internal energy conversion, it was a loss.

Looking at it this way, even if Grain Bigu reached Great Perfection, it couldn't play a big role in him earning cultivation resources.

Perhaps the only benefit was that with this elixir, during long-term closed-door cultivation, he wouldn't need to frequently consume other Grain Bigu.

"A top-grade Grain Bigu should be comparable to a proper low-grade Grain Bigu pill."

Sighing, the joy Luo Chen originally felt because an elixir proficiency had been brushed to the Great Perfection level subsided slightly.

The fact was just like that.

There were some things in the world that were not always satisfying.

Moreover, he was mentally prepared.

After all, Grain Bigu itself was just an unranked elixir.

The system being able to upgrade it to a first-tier low-grade was already quite extraordinary.

And, didn't it also provide an achievement point?

Glancing at the attribute panel, the number of achievement points had now accumulated to 16 because the Spirit Eye Technique had upgraded to Master level, the Mountain-Opening Tablet-Breaking Palm had risen to Proficiency level, and Grain Bigu had upgraded to Great Perfection level.

The more achievement points there were, the more at ease Luo Chen felt in his heart.

Later, when introducing other elixir formulas, he would still need a large number of achievement points.

Looking at the achievement points, Luo Chen suddenly thought of an idea.

"If I brush a lot of achievement points by mass-refining unranked elixirs and learning some worldly martial arts, can I then directly introduce a second-tier elixir formula like the Blood Fiend Pill?"

Once this idea came out, Luo Chen couldn't help but fantasize.

But after a while, he slapped himself.

What was he thinking?

Did he have a lot of time?

He already didn't have enough time for normal cultivation and alchemy; most of his time was squeezed out to practice spells and study alchemy knowledge.

To go and take care of more unimportant worldly martial arts was truly being full and having nothing to do.

Moreover, the benefits brought by those things were really too few.

Occasionally practicing one or two was fine, but getting addicted to them was absolutely not allowed.

"For this kind of thing, one must still act according to one's ability."

"And if the realm is high, introducing an elixir formula of the corresponding level won't cost too many achievement points."

Thinking through this point, Luo Chen couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, and his body and mind felt much more comfortable.

Regarding this sudden feeling of relief, Luo Chen was thoughtful.

Could it be that just now, he almost fell into a demonic barrier again?

Since ancient times, taking shortcuts often didn't lead to a good end.

If he really got addicted to it, it might hinder his Great Dao.

"Today's elixir yield: 52 Grain Bigu pills, with a ratio of 7:2:1 for low, medium, and high grades. 20 Zhongmiao Pills, with a ratio of 4:5:1 for low, medium, and high grades."

"Store them in the Elixir Room and record them in the register."

Listening to the Elixir Cultivator reporting the data to Gu Caiyi, Luo Chen nodded from the side.

His means of controlling the elixir grade were becoming more and more refined.

There were failures and successes, and the grades were high and low, which wouldn't arouse suspicion, nor would it make the gang lose confidence in him.

He currently grasped this degree very well!

Whoosh!

A gust of wind blew, the magic tool's light converged, and the figure of Sikong Shoujia appeared.

"Hall Master Luo, this is the 'Flame Manipulation Art'."

Taking the thin little booklet, Luo Chen flipped through it while saying, "Elder Sikong has worked hard. Did you encounter any trouble?"

Sikong Shoujia laughed, "I didn't encounter any trouble. I thought I would have to spend some effort with Mi Junping, but unexpectedly, she was much more generous this time. Perhaps it's related to the fact that this 'Flame Manipulation Art' isn't a profound spell!"

The "Flame Manipulation Art" indeed couldn't be counted as a profound spell; it had neither attack power nor defensive ability.

It just improved a cultivator's control technique over flames.

Being able to be listed as a first-tier spell was only because this art was quite helpful to alchemists.

But she didn't know that this art wasn't that simple for Luo Chen.

"With this thing, perhaps I can improve some of the flaws of my Great Perfection Fireball Technique."

Thinking of the Great Perfection Fireball Technique and that awkward situation of being able to release but not retract, Luo Chen now had a bottom line in his heart.

As long as he learned the Flame Manipulation Art, perhaps he could take the power of the Great Perfection Fireball Technique to a higher level!

Life in the Elixir Hall, after passing the initial freshness, became as ordinary as water.

The cultivators within, under Gu Caiyi's leadership, were familiarizing themselves with the "Hundred Herbs Illustrated Guide" and the "Flame Manipulation Art."

It was becoming more and more helpful to Luo Chen's alchemy work.

So much so that he had more time to do his own things.

A month later, in the primeval forest ten miles behind Xieyue Valley.

Rustle.

The grass rustled, and a rabbit with red eyes was running wildly as if it had encountered a natural enemy.

Behind it, the huge shrubbery was like being crushed by a tank, and a gray wolf, a full person tall and about three meters long, suddenly leaped out.

Its speed was so fast that it was almost above the rabbit in the blink of an eye.

Falling from the air, it grabbed the rabbit with one claw, and the gray wolf stuffed it directly into its mouth.

Flesh and juice flowed down from between its teeth as its ferocious teeth closed.

After the gray wolf finished eating this rabbit, it seemed not quite satisfied and continued to wander in the forest, looking for more prey.

Suddenly, its footsteps stopped.

Its nose sniffed slightly; there seemed to be some scent in the air.

Its gaze wandered, but it found nothing.

And directly in front of it, on the branch of a giant tree, a man wearing moon-white Daoist robes was looking at it cautiously.

First-tier monster beast, Gray-Leaf Wolf.

A powerhouse among low-tier monster wolves, its strength was comparable to a human in the late stage of Qi Refining, and its recovery ability was extremely strong; it often required multiple people to hunt and kill it.

"The strange thing is, Gray-Leaf Wolves often move in groups, but this one is actually hunting alone."

This person was none other than Luo Chen.

During these days, when he had a little free time, he would come to the forest behind Xieyue Valley to practice spells.

Occasionally he would encounter some low-tier monster beasts, but under his various means, he could basically kill them easily.

Occasionally he would encounter some wolf packs, and he would directly avoid them.

This forest could already be considered the outer area of the Xiaoyue Mountain Range.

Although the Xiaoyue Mountain Range was also adjacent to Dahe Market, it was not the main hunting area for cultivators.

The main reason was that monster wolves were often fast and had sensitive senses, which were not suitable for hunting.

The few times Luo Chen encountered wolf packs, he basically relied on the Proficiency-level Breath-Restraining Spirit Technique and extreme movement techniques to avoid them.

But this time, he was a little tempted.

"A lone Gray-Leaf Wolf is a very good opponent!"

Simply seeking out weak spirit beasts to practice on does not yield good training results.

By comparison, the Gray-Leaf Wolf has much more substance.

With a thought, Luo Chen waved his hand and scattered them.

Seven emerald-green rays of light suddenly flew out.

Almost the instant he made his move, the Breath-Concealing Spirit Art lost its effect of masking his aura, and the active fluctuations of his spiritual power were instantly exposed to the spirit wolf's eyes.

"Woo-woo!"

With a whimper, the Gray-Leaf Wolf did not retreat but instead advanced!

In this region, their spirit wolf clan is undoubtedly at the top of the food chain, and they have never feared anyone.

Especially since the enemy before it does not look strong.

As it leaped up, surging demonic power immediately spread out.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The seven emerald-green rays of light, as if striking steel, drifted away powerlessly.

Luo Chen's gaze flashed, and he deployed the Pulling Art again; the Jade Blades that had been deflected suddenly closed in.

The Jade Blade Formation took shape in an instant!

"Master-level Pulling Art, combined with my spiritual sense foundation, which is twice that of an ordinary cultivator, has allowed my control over this set of mid-grade magic tools to reach the point of perfection."

"However, relying on just these means, I fear I cannot do anything to this spirit wolf."

Sure enough, the formed blade formation only left a few bloody marks on the Gray-Leaf Wolf before being swatted away by a single claw.

One of the wooden blades even had its emerald glow dimmed; it must have been severely damaged.

"However, my means are not limited to this!"

"Rise!"

Luo Chen's eyes were sharp, and his hand seals changed instantly.

In the forest, where vegetation grew thick and shrubs were everywhere, green vines suddenly flew out.

Like bared fangs and brandished claws, they grabbed toward the spirit wolf.

Facing this kind of attack, the spirit wolf's beast eyes revealed a look of disdain, and its demonic body rushed toward Luo Chen without hesitation.

Whenever the vines grabbed onto its body, they only slowed it down slightly before being snapped apart directly.

Not only that, but as its wolf claws danced, it unleashed yellow-green blades toward Luo Chen.

That was an attack condensed from demonic power.

Luo Chen was unhurried; his dharma robe billowed as he pulled back and retreated.

The Soaring Freedom combined with the Wind-Riding Art made him extremely agile in mid-air.

Especially with the many giant trees nearby, they could block most of the attacks for him.

While retreating, he unleashed fireballs one after another, and in between, he used a special technique to intersperse dozens of colorful beads.

The appearance of the Fireball Art made the Gray-Leaf Wolf somewhat cautious.

These are the means of human cultivators!

But that was as far as it went.

They were too slow; they couldn't hit it at all.

On the contrary, when the beads hit its body and exploded, they tore its skin and flesh.

The Gray-Leaf Wolf is an earth-wood attribute spirit beast; its speed is not considered fast among its kind, but its body is tough and its recovery ability is extremely strong.

It excels at prolonged combat, so its combat power is formidable.

As for these minor injuries, they only made it even angrier.

That damned human is too fast and won't fight it head-on.

Like this, after dozens of breaths, the Gray-Leaf Wolf stopped its pace.

The instinct of a beast made it dislike this rhythm of battle where it was being led by the nose.

It prepared to slip away.

However, the moment it prepared to turn back, its beast eyes widened, and its tail was subconsciously tucked between its legs.

Where its gaze reached, those fireballs that hadn't hit it before had faintly surrounded it.

"Being kited by me all this time, you must feel very uncomfortable inside!"

I don't know when, but Luo Chen had already arrived at the top of a nearby giant tree.

"Then I'll give you a decent way to die!"

"Close!"

With a thought, his ten fingers crossed and flew like flower petals.

Following his movements, threads of spiritual power pulled those scattered fireballs, crossing and intersecting along a specific trajectory, and pounced toward the spirit wolf.

"Awoo!!!"

The spirit wolf let out a loud roar, and all its demonic power erupted.

Rays of earthy-yellow light enveloped its entire body.

However, even with this defense, under the continuous attacks of those twenty-some fireballs, it was beyond saving.

Five breaths later.

Luo Chen descended from the sky.

Looking at the burning crater, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

"What a pity for this fine fur; if it were intact, it would be worth at least ten spirit stones."

"This spirit beast meat must weigh at least one or two thousand catties; that's another few dozen spirit stones."

"And these bones, sigh, sigh, sigh, why are my hands so cheap!"

Luo Chen was filled with regret; the crystal-clear spirit stones are gone!

"Better slip away first; that roar it let out before dying was likely calling for its kind. This place cannot be stayed in for long!"

Luo Chen did not hesitate; he leaped up and disappeared like a large bird outside the primeval forest filled with giant trees.

On the way back, Luo Chen recalled the battle just now, looking for his own shortcomings.

He searched a circle, but found none!

"I am indeed a combat genius!"

In this battle, he only used conventional means.

Jade Blades, Entanglement Art, Fireball Art, Primordial Jade Marrow Beads, Soaring Freedom, and the Wind-Riding Art.

As for his other trump cards, the Soul-Breaking Nails and the Fireball Fusion Art, he didn't use any of them.

But even with conventional means, under this set of kiting tactics, dealing with a Gray-Leaf Wolf comparable to the late stage of Qi Refining was extremely calm.

From beginning to end, the rhythm of the battle was always under Luo Chen's control.

Especially that final Fireball Art encirclement, which left Luo Chen extremely satisfied.

"The Flame-Manipulating Art really does have a boosting effect on the Fireball Art; the original Flying Fireflies have now become even more agile, and even caught it by surprise."

"If it were Brother Qin, I fear he would also have been severely injured due to carelessness!"

"And this hidden weapon technique of 'Heavenly Maidens Scattering Flowers'; I used the Primordial Bead method to launch the waste jade marrow pills, using them as one-time consumables to detonate. Under a massive attack, it is not at all weaker than a normal magic tool. The subtlety lies in the fact that it doesn't require long-term spiritual power control."

"If fighting against a cultivator, the effect would likely be even better!"

The waste jade marrow pills themselves have no effect, but because they contain the material of the first-grade spirit material 'Huan Jade', they are quite hard.

After detonating them, the power of a single bead is not great.

But if you use the Primordial Bead method to instantly detonate dozens or hundreds of them, the power is quite considerable.

Luo Chen thought about these things and felt that this month had been very fruitful!

The Entanglement Art he learned earliest has finally reached the master level; although its offensive and defensive effects are not good, it is excellent in terms of obstructing and trapping enemies.

The Breath-Concealing Spirit Art has also been cultivated to the proficiency level, far exceeding the small success level of Chen Xiuping back then; with the keen sense of smell of a spirit wolf, it didn't even discover him at first.

As for the others, the Healing Art at the proficiency level and the Mountain-Opening and Monument-Breaking Palm at the proficiency level, he just swept over them.

And because the proficiency of these spells continued to climb, his achievement points also leaped to 19 points.

Relying on these spells that are often at the master or perfect level, combined with his constantly improving kiting combat style, Luo Chen is confident that he already has the ability to face the vast majority of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

If he waits until his realm breaks through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, he will have nothing to fear from some ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators who don't have good magic tools.

"Perhaps only those experts on the Dao Discussion Platform back then who had top-grade magic tools could pose a threat to me!"

Luo Chen thought of the scene of the eighteen cultivators fighting to the death: the eerie formation flags, magic treasure fragments, sword pellets, blood path means, Qin Liangchen's self-detonation tactics, Wang Yuan's formidable physique, and so on.

He could only shake his head and sigh.

Those were things that an ordinary ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator could never possess.

It can only be said that that was simply a competition of wealth between two large gangs and two Foundation Establishment cultivators!

Where would ordinary Qi Refining cultivators get top-grade defensive robes or top-grade flying swords?

Thinking about these random things, Luo Chen had already flown into Xieyue Valley.

Just as he entered the Pill Hall, Sikong Shoujia came up to him.

"Hall Master Luo, the main altar has notified us to hold a gang meeting. Do you think we should go over?"

"Hold a gang meeting?"

Luo Chen's eyes lit up, and he waved his hand!

"Let's go!"